The Grief Of Stones by Katherine Addison

 

Katherine Addison takes her readers back into the world that was introduced in The Goblin Emperor.  It is part of the four part series called The Chronicles Of Osreth and focuses on the character of Thara Celehar.  Readers first met Celehar when he uncovered the truth about the bombs that killed the goblin emperor's father and brothers.  He is a provost and a witness for the dead.

Thara has been moved to a small town called Amalo where he would work with the commoners of the kingdom, which is his preference.  A witness for the dead can speak with the dead by laying hands on their bodies.  He or she can solve murders this way, determine how someone wanted their property left in the case of no wills and other things.  He has also been charged with training a woman who has uncovered her talent for death talking as well.

Thara has several cases in this novel.  He solves several murders, uncovers a child abuse ring and helps discover an ancient tomb with treasure that belongs to the kingdom.  He also fights a being guarding the treasure and is the victor but at the loss of his powers.  What comes next?

Katherine Addison is the pen name of Sarah Monette.  She writes mostly in the genre of fantasy and sometimes co-authors with other fantasy writers.  In this series, she has created a fascinating character in Thara who is gentle and honest and who only wants to help others.  I listened to this novel and the narrator did an excellent job of bringing the character to life as he solved the big and little mysteries that make up his daily work.  This was the second book in the trilogy and the next will be published in March of 2025.  I know I'll be ready to revisit Thara and his world then.  This book is recommended for fantasy readers.  

Booksie's 2024 Wrapup, January 1, 2025

It's hard to believe but it's now 2025!  I was on Bluesky last night and there were lots of posts about the Y2K event.  As an IT person, I was very involved in that and remember it vividly.  It all turned out fine and I'm expecting a great 2025 as well.  It's a time of checking goals and setting new ones.  Here's how I did on last year's goals:

1.  Read 300 books.  I didn't make it but I got close.  I read 273 books.

2.  Read a classic.  I read Middlemarch so this one was done.

3.  Read the Peter Robinson Inspector Alan Banks series.  I'm on #28, the last one.

4.  Read from my shelves and give away what I've read.  This one is a big yes.

5.  Finish four challenges.  Done.

Here are my favorites for 2024 in no particular order:

1. The Five by Hallie Ruebenhold
2. Beartown by Fredrick Backman
3. Exordia by Seth Dickinson
4. Gould's Book Of Fish by Richard Flanagan
5. All The Light We Couldn't See by Anthony Doerr
6. The Hunter by Tana French
7. The Gameshouse by Clair North
8. The Safekeep by Yael Van Der Wouden
9. The Seven Moons Of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka
10. Prophet Song by Paul Lynch
11. The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
12. The Garden Of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng
13. Mothers Of Sparta by Dawn Davies
14. American Dirt by Jeannine Cummins
15. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Finally, here are my goals for 2025:

1. Read 300 books.  I'm going to make this one sometime!
2. Read from my own shelves and give away what I read.
3. Read all books from my four book clubs.
4. Finish the 52 Book Challenge for 2025 and four challenges with the Book Girls.
5. Read two classics.
6. Read the nineteen books in the Mark Billingham Tom Thorne series.
7. Read the three books in the Tamsyn Muir Gideon The Ninth series.
8. Read the three books in the Anthony Ryan The Covenant Of Steel series.
9. Read the seven books in the Dark Tower series by Stephen King
10. Read a series by Adrian Tchaikovsky.

As always, Happy Reading!